Category Manager — Ancillary Parts, Comfort Solution Chillers
Category Strategy & Cost
Own the multi-year category strategy for ~$150M–$400M+ of ancillary spend, refreshed at least annually and aligned to the product roadmap and volume forecast.
Deliver 6% annual net savings through negotiation, should-cost modeling, resourcing, design-to-value, and payment-term improvement.
Build and defend should-cost / clean-sheet models on the top 20–30 parts to negotiate from fact, not from last year's price plus inflation.
Lead supplier consolidation to reduce a fragmented base (often 150–300+ suppliers) by 20–40%, concentrating volume with fewer, stronger partners while avoiding single-source exposure on critical parts.
Supplier Management & Negotiation
Negotiate and own contracts (LTAs, pricing, terms, SLAs) with commercial and legal-approved terms; target payment terms of net-60 to net-90 to improve working capital.
Run the supplier alliance / QBR process with strategic suppliers — scorecards on cost, quality (PPM), delivery (OTD %), and innovation.
Drive dual-sourcing and regional balance across U.S., EU, China, India, and Mexico to protect against tariff, logistics, and geopolitical shocks.
Supply Continuity & Risk
Own supply assurance for the category — maintain <1% line-down risk exposure and a risk register covering single-source parts, financially weak suppliers, and long-lead components.
Lead resourcing and qualification of second sources for the top single-source risks (target: no critical part on a single unqualified source).
Manage obsolescence, refrigerant transitions, and regulatory change (e.g., low-GWP refrigerant / A2L component compatibility) so parts stay compliant and available.
Cross-Functional & Program Work
Partner with Engineering on new product introduction (NPI) — get suppliers and cost targets locked before design freeze, where 70–80% of cost is decided.
Capture M&A and site-integration synergies by harmonizing parts, suppliers, and prices across plants and acquired businesses.
Minimum Requirements:
Bachelor's degree
7+ years in direct / strategic procurement
5+ years owning a category and leading negotiations at scale.
7+ years Experience sourcing mechanical, electro-mechanical, or HVAC / refrigeration-circuit components (or closely adjacent industrial parts).
5+ years experience Strong should-cost / clean-sheet, negotiation, and contracting skills; fluent in reading technical drawings and specs.
5+ years Experience managing a global supply base across multiple regions (e.g., U.S., EU, China, India, Mexico).
Preferred Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or related field (Master's/MBA a plus).
Direct chiller, HVAC, or thermal-systems experience; familiarity with refrigerants and low-GWP / A2L transition requirements.
Supplier quality (APQP/PPAP), NPI, and M&A integration experience.
Professional certification (CPSM, CPM, or equivalent); Lean / Six Sigma exposure.
People-leadership experience working with buyers or analysts.